By Emilee Mae Struss
Abbie Heaphy, Wood River High School senior, is a busy student, juggling dance, tennis, three AP classes, volunteering and being actively involved in two clubs.
“I honestly cannot believe I am a senior this year,” Heaphy said. “It has been a blur because I keep so busy, but I like it that way.”
Heaphy is currently taking three AP classes—government, environmental science and statistics. She is also taking college English, and her favorite subject, zoology.
Heaphy started dancing when she was three years old. She joined Footlight Dance Centre a year later and has remained with Footlight ever since. She has tried many different styles of dance, including ballet, tap, jazz and modern. When she joined tennis her freshman year, she had to drop modern dance due to conflicting schedules, but continues to practice her favorite discipline, ballet, as well as tap and jazz.
“It was pretty random that I joined tennis,” Heaphy said. “But it turned out to be really natural for me and I made varsity my first year.”
Heaphy went on to attend districts and state finals in tennis the following two years. She hopes to continue playing tennis and dancing post-graduation.
“Ballet is the basis of everything,” Heaphy said. “From there, you can branch off into other styles.”
Her dance teacher (director and founder of Footlight), Hilarie Neely, creates a new dance theme each year. Some previous themes have included compassion and the mountains. Heaphy has performed in solos, including one called “Devotion” in which the dancers portrayed different Greek goddesses.
Heaphy is the co-president, along with her sister, Britta Heaphy, of WATER, an environmental club. Model UN is a club based on the United Nations that teaches students how to understand and search for diplomatic solutions between differing countries.
“Model UN can be difficult because you have to find a way to defend your country, even if you don’t personally agree with the country’s values,” Heaphy said.
She enjoys being a part of a club that teaches you how to understand others with different values or opinions.
When Heaphy isn’t studying, engaged in model diplomatic disputes or dancing on stage, she is volunteering. She has learned about agriculture by volunteering with The Hunger Coalition’s Bloom Community Garden.
“They have taught me a lot,” Heaphy said. “The Hunger Coalition staff just chat with me while we’re in the garden and I like that.”
In particular, Lynea Petty, Hunger Coalition food production manager, has invested a lot of time into teaching Heaphy more about agriculture.
“I don’t want to take the easy path in life just because it’s there,” Heaphy said. “I desire to take my own path in life and Lynea inspires me to do that.”
Heaphy does not have set post-graduation plans, but is open to new opportunities that may arise throughout her senior year, though she’s looking at some colleges on the East Coast.
“While I love this little town, I know there is so much more to learn by experiencing a new culture,” Heaphy said. “And that’s what I’d like to do.”